Man Tang Huacai

Chapter 553: Governing
"You mean you're going to go out and take a look?"

Young Master Sak saw that the first person to step forward was actually the only Polymath among his guards. For some reason, the corner of his eye twitched inexplicably.

Usually a Loremaster is not good at combat; this is a support class that represents wisdom and knowledge, rather than a combat class.

Moreover, because there are too many specializations, it will be difficult to advance to the field of high-level card masters in the future.

However, high-ranking aristocratic families need such polymaths as carriers of the family's cultural heritage and inheritance.

Normally, this "Su Lun" would return to the territory with himself after completing his studies at the Royal Academy to serve as a counselor or local governor.

Instead of appearing on the battlefield.

so.
Precisely because of this stereotyped image of the "polymath", everyone in the room looked at Ji Xun as he spoke with a hint of weirdness on their faces.

Normally, at this time, shouldn't the reckless warrior speak?

Young Master Sak originally had the same idea in his mind.

Now that they have this plot item, they have a head start in exploring the forest.

But if I don’t go, this hidden plot that I discovered with great difficulty seems to be meaningless.

What Sack was considering before was whether letting his personal guards take risks could bring him equivalent returns?

Others have also thought about it, but everything in the forest currently represents unknown risks to them, and they have too many concerns.

Ji Xun nodded: "Yes, Master. I think only by going to the forest can we find the truth of the 'taboo'. And now we do have a little advantage, but the Simon family has gained the trust of the village, and they may find a similar way to dispel the fog. Without further ado, we must be one step ahead of them to have a chance to gain the upper hand."

Of course, this was just an excuse he made up to get out.

Although the information everyone received was almost the same.

But the deduction of "I am the world" allows Ji Xun to see the whole situation more clearly than others.

To be more precise.

This trial is like a game of chess.

The plot missions are the grid lines, and everyone is a chess piece on the board.

While others were racking their brains to figure out how to follow the correct route,
Ji Xun was already playing chess secretly with the chess player.

What he thought about from beginning to end was only the motives and purpose of the person behind the scenes.

Following the main storyline is indeed the most appropriate and safest approach.

The "bandit revenge" plot is only of level B difficulty. As long as they hide in the village, they will most likely survive for three days.

But Ji Xun had no interest in it at all.

Since the people behind the academy have gone to so much trouble, they will definitely accomplish something this time.

So the B-level mission is just the beginning of the wave, not the end.

Ji Xun was certain that some difficult "opportunity plot" or "sudden plot" would be triggered later.

I'm afraid not many people can survive this trial.

Rather than passively falling into danger.

Ji Xun thought it would be better to take more initiative before anything happened.

And he has now deduced a way to decipher the code.

But the first step is to explore the forest at night to confirm what those "forbidden monsters" are.

Ji Xun's words obviously touched Young Master Sak.

In the face of family interests, a few reserve knights can still be taken for a gamble.

David also keenly noticed Sack's thoughts, and he said directly: "Su Lun, if you want to go, I will go with you!"

Ji Xun didn't refuse and nodded.

As soon as these words came out, Gang Duoduo's teammates also spoke up: "Let's go together!"

They knew Ji Xun's character. This decision was not an impulse but the result of rational thinking.

Moreover, the six of them were teammates, so it was impossible for him and David to go alone.

Ji Xun looked at the faces of several people who generously refused, and his expression showed a hint of gratitude and relief, but he felt a little amused in his heart.

My teammates are all prepared to die with me.

But in reality.
It's not that serious.

There are risks in exploring the forest at night, but this is just a primary dimension after all, so no matter how difficult it is, it won't be too outrageous.

What's more, they don't know that being with me will not harm them but will actually be less risky.

Young Master Sak looked at the people from Team 16 and said in a deep voice, "Okay. Then you guys should be careful and send a signal immediately if there is any situation. I will send people to support you."

His hesitation was not because he was worried about the safety of the few people.

Instead, he was considering how much his trial results would be affected if he lost this team.

Knights are nobles in the eyes of ordinary people, but in the eyes of great nobles, they are actually "consumables".

The great nobles of the southern continent all have a complete program for training loyal knights, and they have as many low-level knights as they want.

Sack decided to take a gamble.

Otherwise, we would have to wait until tomorrow morning and have to deal with attacks from bandits, and we might even be trapped in the village.

Two-line mission exploration is also the best option at present.

Ji Xun saw through it, but pretended not to know.

This is an alien dimension in the exploration mode. If you want to pass it with a high score, you need more than just combat power.

At present, it seems that some knowledge of ancient civilizations is still needed.

Ji Xun's previous ideas and knowledge in deciphering the ancient classics have been recognized by everyone.

Only their team is most suitable to explore.

As soon as Young Master Sak agreed, Ji Xun and his six companions set off immediately.

And the other side.

Duke Simon and his group, who were still asking about the "fog" and "taboo" related plots at the village chief's house, also received the news.

Young Master Furen, who was having a heart-to-heart talk with the village chief's daughter, was immediately shocked.

"What? The Langdon guys left the village?"

"Yes, sir. I saw with my own eyes that the people from Langdon's 16th team had just left."

“Where have their people been today?”

“They’ve been to every household in this entire village.”

"."

"Master, should we send someone to follow?"

"How? Do you have a way to dispel the fog, or do you know what the 'forbidden monster' is? Also, how can you be sure that those guys are not deliberately misleading us? Damn it, hurry up and check one by one! No matter what means, I want to know what those guys from the Langdon family found!"

"Yes. Master."

"."

Young Master Furen's expression turned extremely ugly when he heard this.

Now that he knows that the forest is dangerous after nightfall, and yet he still dares to go out, he must have obtained some hidden intelligence.

At the same time, there are also means to dispel the fog.

In contrast, Sack's face darkened when he thought about how he had spent the entire afternoon trying to get anything out of the village chief, and his face turned even darker.

The joy of the previous monopoly of the main storyline is now gone.

But they were helpless.

It is most likely not because of trust, but the way the villagers speak always gives people the feeling that they are hiding something.

What Feren and the others didn't know was that they brought the nobles' condescending attitude into the trial space, which gave the villagers an instinctive sense of oppression.

The main storyline of the bandits is a bounty mission issued by the lord, and the villagers will also cooperate.

But others, not so much.

The owl squatting on the arrow tower watched Ji Xun and the other six people leave the village. Its eagle eyes that could see everything clearly at night also revealed a hint of anthropomorphic wonder.

The six people did not stop and walked all the way to the Yinshan Lumberyard where they came from before.

The dark and silent jungle was already a source of terror in people's hearts, and with the increasingly thick black fog, an ominous atmosphere enveloped the entire team.

However, what was even more surprising was that they had tested it before and found that the newly created [Light Dispel] was indeed effective against the black fog in the forest.

But teammate "Su Lun" warned everyone not to use this obviously useful card.

They didn't even light torches, and the group walked forward in the dark.

Seeing that the visibility was getting lower and lower after leaving the fire range of the village, Gang Duoduo, who was walking in the front, couldn't help but ask: "Su Lun, don't we use [Light Dispel]?"

For a tank warrior, this feeling of being in the dark is really terrible.

"Being not."

Ji Xun in the middle of the team responded casually.

Night vision is a basic ability, and with the faint fluorescence emitted by the silver fir tree, it is enough to see the general outline of the nearby seven or eight meter path and trees.

There is no hindrance in your journey.

He also knew what his teammates were wondering about, so he explained, "If we use it, the monsters might not come out. And the target of the Dispel spell is too large, which would expose us to the perception of some high-level monsters. We should only use the spell card when we are really in danger."

"Oh"

Gang Duoduo responded.

Since everyone was willing to accompany him on this adventure, Ji Xun did not hesitate to give some advice. He simply added: "The black fog limits our vision, and the same is true for monsters. Everyone remember to use odor-eliminating potions to remove your own odor regularly. Also, after entering the forest, try to speak as little as possible and communicate with tactical gestures."

As soon as these words came out, the five teammates nodded seriously: "Yes."

These knowledge points about field exploration have actually been taught by the college instructors, and obviously everyone knows them.

But at this moment, everyone felt that what they used was forced, while Ji Xun said it like an experienced adventurer.

Soon, the surroundings were completely shrouded in black fog, and the fire in the village could no longer be seen behind them.

In this environment, it is difficult to see objects, let alone determine directions.

But because it was a road they had walked before, the teammates confirmed not long after walking that they were heading south.

Even Captain Seri didn't understand the reason for this choice of direction.

He asked quietly: "Su Lun, isn't Black Crow Castle in the northeast? Why are we going this way?"

This is also a question for everyone.

This path is obviously opposite to the main storyline's defense line.

Ji Xun didn't want to express all his thoughts.

He only picked out some of the less important ones and explained, "The 'monster' we encountered in the jungle before was injured by the young master and his men. When he fled in a panic, he spilled a lot of blood. The smell should not have disappeared yet, and I suspect that the guy will most likely escape back to the bandits' lair. Moreover, since the bandits have been entrenched in Black Crow Castle for so long and have not been wiped out, they must have left a way out. Let's see if we can kill the little leader and complete a small branch line."

"???"

His words seemed to open up a new line of thought. After everyone was stunned for a moment, a look of sudden realization appeared on their faces.

They understood why they were going south.

This is to chase the murderer!
It's not that they are not smart enough, they just don't have enough exploration experience. Their thoughts will instinctively follow the development direction of the plot and mission, thus ignoring many seemingly insignificant clues.

In Ji Xun's eyes, nothing in the world can exist alone.

It must involve some other causes and effects.

In the different-dimensional space, any plot mission will inevitably involve the main storyline.

This way of thinking is very easy to understand when it is explained. I understood it instantly and didn’t ask any more questions.

At this moment, they finally understood why Ji Xun had the confidence to be the first to propose the plan to explore the forest at night.

The five people heard in his words the meticulous thinking logic that only a polymath could possess.

The six members of Langdon Team 16 have experienced several fierce battles together and have training at the academy on weekdays, so they have a good tacit understanding.

Now, after hearing this explanation, everyone said nothing more and went quietly deeper into the dense forest.

They were a little worried about not being able to kill the "monster" before, but now it's different, they have enchanted weapons that are good against dark creatures.

This also gave everyone a lot of confidence.

As for Ji Xun, he had never been worried. Others had never seen a vampire, but he was very familiar with it.

Vampires are not immortal, but their heads and hearts need to be destroyed.

Instead, he cared more about other things.

The information I got from the villagers before was that the mist of the abyss rift has always existed, and the "taboo" legend has been around for at least thousands of years;

And those bandits had only arrived recently.

So, the monster in the forest at night is not a vampire.

But something else.

The facts were just as Ji Xun expected.

Soon, the crisis came quietly.

Serri's talent for smell comes from his lizard bloodline, which makes him more sensitive to smells than most canine monsters.

He led everyone all the way from the logging site where they had entered the space before, deep into the dense forest, and continued to move deeper into the southwest.

This was the route the vampire took to escape this afternoon.

The forests around them became more and more dense, and everyone began to hear rustling noises, as if some living creatures were wandering in the forest.

However, because the six people did not carry any light sources and deliberately lowered their voices and eliminated their smells, they were not discovered by the predators lurking in the dark.

Gang Duoduo led the way in front, the three mages Ji Xun, Seri and Zhuo Sha were in the middle, the assassin Gail was wandering around, and David was the rear guard.

This is a very standard team formation for field exploration, with both offensive and defensive capabilities, and it can fight at the first moment of encountering an unexpected situation.

They are all elite soldiers and have already mastered the tactics.

The group walked smoothly for more than ten kilometers.

However, the accident came without warning.

Suddenly.

A dark shadow jumped down from the tree branch.

"careful!"

Seri, who had the sharpest perception in the team, issued a warning immediately and released a [Gas Explosion Card] without hesitation.

The monster that had completely blended into the darkness finally revealed its figure in the air wave.

Ji Xun took a quick glance and saw what looked like a cheetah that was over five meters long. His pupils shrank slightly. "Shadow Leopard? No! A first-level Shadow Leopard is only two meters long. How could this thing be so big?"

Before he could see clearly, Gale, who was lurking in the air, slashed at him with a knife.

This dagger is an ancient relic that was given to him by Master Sack as a reward when he kidnapped Scarface on the black market. It is extremely sharp.

With the added benefit of the previous enchantment, a single cut opened a bloody wound on the cheetah's hind leg.

However, this wound is fatal to humans, but has little impact on that huge body that is more than five meters long.

The cheetah continued to pounce towards Gang Duoduo in front of the team with unabated momentum.

It turns out that Warcraft is quite intelligent.

But the monsters in the mountains and forests have also seen things like armor.

The cheetah probably thought that he was bigger and had the most meat, so it bit his helmet hard.

Then there was a "crack" and sparks flew everywhere.

Crunchy.

Gang Duoduo's armor is also a set of relics. This armor can withstand direct attacks from third- and fourth-level card masters without any problem.

Listening to the crisp sound, it must be that the helmet was broken. The cheetah's head was probably buzzing.

The dwarves are naturally strong, and Gang Duoduo was not hesitant when he saw his head being bitten in the monster's mouth.

He threw away his sword and shield, hugged the huge leopard head, turned over and used the [Vajra Lock] fighting technique, locking the leopard head in place.

However, the accident happened again.

The Royal Academy also often holds actual combat drills with Warcraft.

It stands to reason that it would be difficult for a first-level monster to escape if it was locked up like this.

But after the cheetah broke its teeth, it suddenly realized the danger.

It shook its head violently and actually threw Gang Duoduo away!

Get rid of it!
With a "bang", Gang Duo heavily smashed several large trees and then stopped.

Ji Xun in the team was shocked when he saw this scene: "How can there be such an exaggerated power?"

Cheetah-type magical beasts usually specialize in agility, but this strength is not only that of a first-level shadow leopard, but also more than a second-level one.

Fortunately, Gang Duoduo failed to control the situation, and the cards in Ji Xun's hand had already scattered.

The cheetah failed in its sneak attack and instinctively wanted to retreat, but it didn't expect that there was a spider web that predicted its side path and it ran into it head-on.

As soon as the cheetah was caught in the sticky spider web, several vines fell from the sky and tied around its waist with precision.

It was the [Demon Vine Binding] released by Seri!
The next moment, the sound of stepping into the air was heard, and David, the team's strongest single output, had already punched the monster on the head.

The penetrating force of the [Ba Quan] rushed straight into the brain, and the cheetah could not help but groan, and raised its head to meet the rain of punches.
The cheetah was suspended in mid-air, with 90% of its strength restricted. It struggled to land, and Gale's dagger slashed at the soft spot in its lower abdomen.

Gang Duoduo, who had just been knocked away, also rushed forward angrily.

The few of them have practiced this kind of tactical coordination countless times.

In an instant, the six-man team started to attack the sneak attacking monster.

This is the advantage of teamwork. The countless drills in the academy have now turned into confidence in actual combat.

If it were an ordinary team, if they failed to control the leopard in the first place, it would mean deaths.

But the strength and equipment of Ji Xun and his six companions enabled them to give Cheetah no chance at all, and they controlled him throughout the whole process until his death.

but.

Although it was a one-sided battle, the cheetah's tenacity far exceeded the six people's expectations.

The five-meter-long guy's muscles were as solid as rocks, his strength was incredible, and his wounds healed so quickly that he only stopped after being stabbed thirty or forty times and suffering countless punches and curses.

Enlightenment also appeared immediately: "The team obtained the first kill of the BOSS, the first-level [Titan Shadow Leopard], the additional settlement reward +5%, the trial points +240"

Ji Xun and the other six looked at the corpse on the ground, gasping for breath and feeling extremely surprised.

Judging from the damage output of the few people just now, I'm afraid that all the second-level monsters were killed.

However, now that they saw the enlightenment, they were sure that it was the first level.

Gang Duoduo opened the visor of his helmet and said in a muffled voice: "What kind of monster is this? How can it have such great power?"

Zhuo Sha: "No matter how you look at it, this is a [Shadow Leopard], but why is it so big?"

Seri seemed to be thinking about something. After a moment's silence, he said, "It should be the 'forbidden monster' that the villagers are talking about. It is very likely that it has been affected by the black fog and has mutated."

With the agility of a cheetah and the strength of a dragon
Even Ji Xun had never encountered such a strange monster.

From a biological perspective, it is unlikely that this monster can exist normally.

Gale picked up the dagger and skillfully dismantled the monster materials.

Soon, a fist-sized black blood-stained magic crystal appeared in front of everyone.

[A crystal core that contains a hint of Titan's divinity]

Detailed explanation: The crystal core of the Titan Shadow Panther contains a strong dark power;

"Titan? The Titans from mythology and legends?"

When Ji Xun saw the name displayed by Qidi, he suddenly understood something.

Like dragons, Titans are a mythical race.

Now it seems that this is also a hybrid creature of some mythical creature.

This is not surprising in the species-rich southern continent.

But what was strange to Ji Xun was that he originally thought that the "taboo" in the forest would be vampires.

I didn't expect it to be this.

The moment he saw the magic core, Ji Xun came to a conclusion: "In other words, the fog in the abyss is related to the Titan in mythology? Could it be that some demon god is also sealed down there?"

Things are getting more complicated.

His thoughts also followed this path.

The monsters in the forest have been affected by the fog for a long time, and their bodies have become extremely huge. It is very likely that they are affected by the "Titan".

Ji Xun has seen this situation many times.

The leakage of divine substances from some ancient sealed places led to the pollution of nearby creatures and the birth of many divine creatures.

It seems to be the case now.

Ji Xun has basically confirmed that if he digs deeper, there must be some ancient seal or treasure somewhere in the rift.

But this is no longer something that the main storyline can participate in.

What Ji Xun couldn’t understand was, what did this have to do with vampires?
He couldn't understand it, let alone others.

Serri looked at the body of the monster with a serious expression, then glanced at Ji Xun and asked, "What should we do now?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the other four people looked at Ji Xun involuntarily.

If we continue like this, we will inevitably encounter such situations in the forest again.

It may be solved this time, but not next time.

A first-level monster that has been contaminated is so ridiculously powerful. If a second-level monster comes, their team will most likely be wiped out.

Ji Xun fell into deep thought.

A map of the nearby forest and a road they had already walked appeared in his mind.

It was difficult to determine the direction in this forest shrouded in black fog, but he clearly outlined a tortuous "S"-shaped route.

Now the monster has been seen too.

There is no need to continue testing.

After a moment of silence, Ji Xun's eyes flashed with sternness, as if he had figured something out, and he said in a deep voice: "Let's go west and directly to the rift."

It would indeed be very risky to continue wandering around in the forest.

But if there is a bandit camp nearby, there will definitely not be any high-level monsters.

Everyone didn't understand and looked at him inquiringly: "Huh???"

Serri also reminded: "But. The aura of the monster in the afternoon is still moving towards the south."

Ji Xun explained: "That guy is very cunning. He is afraid of being tracked, so he keeps taking detours in the forest. But their base camp is in Black Crow Castle. This distance is already very far. If I am not mistaken, if there is any other route to the castle, it should be near the nearby rift."

Several important points appeared clearly in his mind.

But the core is "Black Crow Castle".

If you connect the two points, there will be an intersection on the crack.

After hearing this, several teammates finally understood what Ji Xun was talking about.

This method is not difficult.

But the difficulty lies elsewhere.

Seri was surprised and asked, "Su Lun, did you remember the route we took before?"

Ji Xun nodded: "Yeah."

This casual "hmm" made Seri's scalp tingle.

Only he, who is also an expert in wisdom, knows how difficult it is to achieve this.

[Polyologist] Is it that outrageous?
Do not!
It is absolutely impossible for other first-level polymaths to be so outrageous.

This guy is a special case!
If it's not a natural talent, the only reasonable explanation is the bonus brought by the Demon Mark and the Professional Card!
Seri couldn't help but ask again: "You, the Demon Mark you fused is not of [Legendary] quality, right?"

Ji Xun remained silent and smiled mysteriously.

At this smile, everyone opened their eyes wide and stood in awe.

(End of this chapter)